Dry skin on the Regimen - Jojoba oil and Alpha Hydroxy Acid.

Some people have reported that they can not get rid of their dry skin on the Regimen, even after their skin has become accustomed to benzoyl peroxide and even with twice daily moisturization. 2 options:

1. The addition of 3 drops of jojoba oil to your moisturizer upon each application should take care of flakiness entirely. Most oils are not recommended for use with acne prone skin. Jojoba oil is an exception and may actually be beneficial. Its chemical structure closely mimicks that of human skin oil (sebum). Because of this, it may actually convince the skin that it has plenty of sebum and to stop overproducing. Jojoba oil is different from other oils in that it contains no triglyceride component and is non-comedogenic. It also feels nice and has a mild and pleasant scent.

2. A 5-10% alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), whether as a stand alone product or inside a moisturizer, is another recourse for flakiness. I have found lactic acid to be the best kind of AHA for this purpose because it is mild. However, lactic acid is almost impossible to find on store shelves with the exception of Lac Hydrin Five which you may be able to find. Glycolic acid, another AHA, is much easier to find and also does the trick. However, it will tend to sting terribly at the onset of the Regimen. You will need to wait a few weeks for your skin to become accustomed to benzoyl peroxide before adding in glycolic acid. AHAs have been shown to heighten sensitivity to the sun, so it's important that you use a sunscreen.

A while back, people on the message board were giving 5-10% glycolic acid rave reviews, so I decided to give it a try. After allowing the BP to dry and before applying moisturizer, I used Alpha Hydrox brand 10% glycolic acid once a day for about a month. My skin was definitely less dry and I saw no adverse effects. I have also tried Neutrogena Healthy Skin with AHA moisturizer which contains a relatively high percentage of glycolic acid. Despite it's em scent and somewhat expensive price tag, it does a good job at controlling flakes and eliminates the extra step of a separate AHA and moisturizer.

AHA as spot treatment: I can't say enough good things about 10% AHA as a spot treatment. I posted a poll on this page and the responses are less than unanimous, but for me, AHA is brilliant at stopping spots in their tracks and helping them heal faster.